Eswatini is one of the world’s last absolute monarchies. King Mswati has ruled the kingdom, previously known as Swaziland, for 35 years.
But for the past week, people have been defying curfews to demand democratic reforms. They are angry at widespread poverty, while the king spends millions on private jets and luxury cars.
Recommended Stories
list of 4 items- list 1 of 4Tensions run high in Eswatini as pro-democracy protests continue
- list 2 of 4Eswatini imposes curfew to quell pro-democracy protests
- list 3 of 4Eswatini king recovers from COVID, thanks Taiwan for sending drug
- list 4 of 4Eswatini’s prime minister, who tested positive for COVID-19, dies
Opposition groups say soldiers have killed dozens of protesters, and the government has denied reports that the king has fled to South Africa.
Eswatini’s regional allies are calling for a political dialogue to calm the unrest.
So will King Mswati listen to the demands for political change?
Presenter: Sami Zeidan
Guests:
Mlungisi Makhanya – leader, opposition People’s United Democratic Movement (PUDEMO) party
Menzi Ndhlovu – senior political and country risk analyst, Signal Risk
Christopher Vandome – research fellow, Chatham House Africa programme
Eswatini’s government did not respond to a request for a representative to join the discussion panel.